MISSOURIresources

Winter 2007 • Volume 24 • Number 1

With the holidaysover and the

start of another year al-ready in full swing, I’vehad a few minutes tolook back over this lastyear at the MissouriDepartment of NaturalResources. It seems likeonly yesterday that Iaccepted Gov. Blunt’soffer to direct thisagency – and yet it’sbeen two full years.Frankly, the job hasbeen more of a challenge than I expect-ed in some ways, but much more re-warding, as well. Protecting Missouri’senvironment is a complex and time-consuming job – not just for me – butfor the dedicated people who believethat clean water, clean air, and produc-tive and unpolluted land resources areworth dedicating a career to.

When Missouri voters, once again,approved the one-tenth-of-one-percentparks and soils sales tax last August,you affirmed your belief that we aremanaging the 83 state parks and his-toric sites, and Roger Pryor Backcoun-try, in an accountable manner. Seventy-five percent of the funding for our stateparks operations comes from this fee.The soils portion of the tax funds theeducational programs and soil conser-vation practices that support Mis-souri’s 114 soil and water conservationdistricts. Your approval of the parks-and-soils sales tax has allowed us tofocus on making new inroads whereyou felt we needed it most.

In the last two years, we have direct-ed a lot of our departmental resourcesand efforts toward efficiency and ac-cessibility. By adding additional satel-lite offices, we are now able to getmore face time with our constituents.We rarely have to drive for hours to anon-site visit anymore. Our ombudsmanprogram just celebrated its first year inoperation. I am proud to say that 2,145citizens, community leaders and busi-ness owners have been directly con-tacted by one of our seven ombudsmen.As appropriate, many of these contacts

have resulted in imme-diate referrals to a re-gional director or me.

We also began a se-ries of town meetingsstarting in late 2005. Todate, we’ve been to 73cities and met withmore than 1,000 citi-zens. For many Mis-sourians, improvementat this agency meantfaster access to peoplewho could put you incontact with the right

staff person to help with your question,environmental concern or help youcomplete a permit.

And, speaking of permits, we areworking hard to bring more of that in-formation online. Our “how-to” envi-ronmental permit and inspection manu-als help save you time and money. At[www.dnr.mo/forms/], the departmenthas also made permit, license, registra-tion and certification forms availablein several word processing formats.These simpler online forms can also beupdated for future use.

Environmental permits cost very lit-tle when you consider the economicbenefit they provide. In fact, they arean absolute bargain compared with theremedial work and health care thatmight be needed without them.

The economic value of permits isclear, as well. For example, while itmay take several years to obtain a per-mit for a landfill, the permit is good forthe life of the landfill and adds consid-erable value to the property. The num-ber and types of permits we handle islengthy, but the value of each is thesame — protecting our water, air andland resources for all Missourians.

I have appreciated serving you thesefirst two years, and hope that you havea happy, healthy and prosperous 2007.

Doyle Childers

Missouri Department of Natural Resources

printed on recycled paper

Winter 2007Volume 24 • Number 1

State of MissouriGovernor

Matt BluntDirector, Missouri Department

of Natural ResourcesDoyle Childers

Deputy Director, OperationsJeff Staake

Deputy Director, PolicyFloyd Gilzow

Deputy Director, LegalKurt Schaefer

Deputy Director, Water ResourcesMike Wells

Director, Division of State ParksDoug Eiken

Director, Division of Geology and Land Survey

Mimi Garstang

Director, Division of Field ServicesJim Macy

Director, Division of Environmental QualityDan Schuette

Director, Environmental Improvement and Energy Resources Authority

Tom Welch

EditorStuart Westmoreland

Assistant EditorPhilip J. Tremblay

Editorial BoardKerry CordrayKathy Deters

Dawn FredricksonLina Klein

Connie PattersonKenneth Seeney

Stuart Westmoreland

Design DirectorBelinda Hughes

Assistant DesignerRuby Wells

PhotographerScott Myers

CirculationMarlo Bolinger

Mission StatementThe mission of the Missouri Department of Natural

Resources is to protect, preserve and enhanceMissouri’s natural, cultural and energy resources.

MISSOURI RESOURCESis published three times per year by the Missouri

Department of Natural Resources to inform readersabout important natural resource issues and how theyare being addressed. Any correspondence should be

directed to the editor at the Department of NaturalResources, Publications, P. O. Box 176, Jefferson City,

MO 65102-0176, or call 1-800-361-4827. E-mail address: moresdnr@dnr.mo.govMoDNR home page: www.dnr.mo.gov

MISSOURI RESOURCESis available in alternative formats.

As a recipient of federal funds, the Department ofNatural Resources cannot discriminate against any-

one on the basis of race, color, national origin,religion, age, sex, or disability.

If anyone believes he or she has been subjected todiscrimination for any of these reasons, he or she mayfile a complaint with either the Department of NaturalResources or the Office of Equal Opportunity, U.S.

Department of the Interior, Washington, D.C., 20240.

Missouri Resources is printed with soy ink onrecycled paper at Banta Publications Group,

Liberty, Missouri.

table of contentsM i s s o u r i D e p a r t m e n t o f N a t u r a l R e s o u r c e s

page 2Environmental EmergencyResponse Teamby Kerry CordrayEach year, the EER “spill line” takes an average of 1,500 phone calls

and responds to nearly 450 hazardous substance emergencies. Most

every day, Department of Natural Resources environmental response

trucks are dispatched from some region of the state.

page 6Get Down!Putting Missouri’s Underground to Workby Kathy Deters and Jim VandikeSince the dawn of the Industrial Age, the need for industrial rock has

never waned. Many underground quarries were put back to work, long after

their rock was gone. Today, many of these underground gold mines earn more

money on the space than they did on the stone.

page 10Meet RebeccaCleanups Based on Environmental Riskby Chris CadyThirty years ago, hazardous site cleanups seemed to take forever. Thanks to the faster MRBCA process, cleanups can be

tailored to future intended use. Now site owners can put these areas back to work without spending years in the courtroom.

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Above right: The opening of trout season in Missouri is less than two months away.Above: Winter maintains its icy grip on this desolate rural road in Saline County.FRONT COVER: A rising winter moon shines through the branches of a burr oak in Boone County.BACK COVER: Up to 16 inches of snow blanketed parts of Missouri in the season’s first winter storm.Cover photos by Scott Myers.

14 • News Briefs 23 • Teacher’s NotebookE-Notes, Letters, Time Exposures, Career Connection –Resource Honor Roll “Love of Outdoors Spurred Plans to be a Planner”

20 • Resources to Explore 25 • One Last WordBennett Spring State Park Environmental Assistance Visits

Jefferson City, May 30, 2003 –On a typical Friday morning at 7:45a.m., the 24/7 hotline in the incidentcommand center warbled quietly onthe desk.

The day’s duty officer answeredand calmly took down the details. Inthe Mississippi County community ofEast Prairie, gasoline had been dis-covered leaking beneath a filling sta-tion’s pumps. Two months earlier avehicle had banged a pump. The dam-age was repaired, but lines hadn’tbeen tested before the pump wentback in service. After giving a few in-structions, the operator hung up anddialed a number at the department’sSoutheast Regional Office in PoplarBluff. One of the signature “bluetrucks” of the department’s Environ-mental Emergency Response teamwas soon on the way.

Upon arrival, On-Scene Coordina-tors Jackson Bostic and Randy Carter

coordinated with local authorities andthe Missouri Department of Agricul-ture. An inventory of an abovegroundtank at the station came up thousandsof gallons short. It was estimatedmore than 15,000 gallons might haveleaked into the ground around the sta-tion. Bostic and Carter made sure thearea was safe for work and began thefirst day of what was to become morethan a three-year and $300,000cleanup process.

BASED THROUGHOUT THE STATE

The names, places and detailschange, but variations on this scenerepeat themselves every day. On aver-age, each year the EER 24/7 “spillline” takes more than 1,500 calls andresponds to nearly 450 hazardous sub-stance emergencies. On incidents re-quiring an immediate staff response,the blue trucks roll out nearly every

day from Kansas City, Jefferson City,Macon, Poplar Bluff, St. Louis andSpringfield. On calls where an imme-diate physical response isn’t needed,hotline staff gather information andadvise hazardous material techni-cians, local fire and police depart-ments, responsible parties and con-cerned citizens about appropriateprotective actions. Historically, about50 percent of incidents reported in-volve some type of petroleum release.

The severity of incidents rangesfrom frequent spills of fuel tanks fromwrecked vehicles to the call that cameearly the morning of Dec. 14, 2005,announcing the catastrophic 1.3-bil-lion gallon breach of the Taum Saukreservoir and the resulting destructionof Johnson’s Shut-Ins State Park. Be-tween those extremes, calls concern awide variety of hazardous materialspills and other environmental prob-lems – truck and train accidents,

by Kerry CordrayDNR file photographs

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(Opposite page, top) EER staff investi-gate drums of hazardous waste dumpedon National Forest property.(Above center) A contractor was hired inMarch 2005 to control a fire affecting 1.2million scrap tires near Fair Play in PolkCounty. An excavator was used to ex-pose the fire. (Above) In August 2003, cleanup crewsare decontaminated after dealing with aleak from a tanker truck that was deliv-ering hydrochloric acid to a manufactur-ing firm in Sedalia, Pettis County. (Left) Emergency response vehiclescarry EER teams from the department’sregional offices to environmental emer-gencies across Missouri.

Winter 2007 3

wastewater discharges, industrialspills and illegally dumped containers.“Our mission has historically revolvedaround managing emergencies relatedto hazardous materials, but as addi-tional needs have arisen, our role hasexpanded,” said EER section chief,Brian Allen. “Beyond the traditionalissues, our work also involves Home-land Security, local, state, and federalemergency planning, and coordinatingdepartment response to disasters.”

Exeter, October 14, 2005 –When on-scene coordinators DougThompson and Wendell Hall arrivedat the Eski-Mo Packing poultry pro-cessing plant in the southwest Mis-souri town of Exeter, the stench wasso overpowering the local school keptchildren indoors for recess. Swarmsof flies buzzed throughout the town.An estimated 250,000 pounds of

chicken had rotted for more than fourmonths in a broken down walk-infreezer while the plant’s owner and aninsurance company disagreed over thecause of the failure and who shouldpay for the cleanup.

After meeting with the owner andthe mayor, Thompson and Halldonned protective equipment and res-pirators to enter the facility. Bacteriadying in the liquefying meat producedammonia vapor levels twice as high asanyone should breathe. “The environ-ment inside was so toxic, even theflies were dying,” Thompson recalled.

Acting on the team’s report, the de-partment issued a hazardous sub-stance emergency declaration, requir-ing the owner to clean up the site.Twenty-four hours and five tractor-trailer loads of putrid chicken later,EER staff had overseen the moving ofthe whole mess to a nearby landfill.

PROUD HISTORYThe department began responding

to chemical and petroleum spills inthe mid-1970s. Responses back then,directed mainly at petroleum releasesaffecting waterways, were madethrough the department’s Water Pollu-tion Control Program, By the late-1970s, the department was also beingcalled about incidents related to airpollution, solid waste and hazardouswaste. The Environmental ServicesProgram (formerly the LaboratoryServices Program) took on the role ofstaffing and responding to spills forthe department.

In 1983, hazardous waste manage-ment legislation referred to as the“Spill Bill” gave the program authori-ty to operate a hotline, initiatecleanups and provide cleanup over-sight for chemical releases. “The SpillBill is the backbone of our authorityto provide emergency assistance,”said Alan Reinkemeyer, who directedthe EER section from 2000 to 2006and is now director of the Environ-mental Services Program. In 1995 re-sponders were based in each of thedepartment’s regions to enhance re-sponse times and provide support tolocal emergency agencies.

In 1997, responding to a growingcrisis of methamphetamine incidentsand seizures, the EER team created aunit to deal with hazardous waste is-sues related to meth labs. Chemicalsand debris associated with meth pro-duction created special challenges forlaw enforcement agencies. “To workon those problems the departmenthelped form the Missouri Methamphet-amine Enforcement and EnvironmentalProtection Task Force,” said Brad Har-ris, chief of the EER Meth/Special Pro-jects unit. “The partnership has sincebecome a national model for protecting

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In August 2003, a tanker truck containing ferrous sulfate overturned in a ditchnear I-270 and Riverview in St. Louis. The cleanup crew was able to contain thespill and prevent the chemical from reaching a nearby storm sewer and the Mis-sissippi River. (Above right) A dramatic fire at a Praxair facility in St. Louis in-volved thousands of pressurized gas cylinders and prompted an asbestos alert.Fortunately, no injuries were reported.

law enforcement and the environ-ment.” The unit provides training andspecialized equipment at no cost to lawenforcement, and coordinates the Clan-destine Drug Lab Collection Stationprogram, providing technical and fi-nancial assistance to local fire and lawenforcement agencies operating 20 col-lection stations statewide.

St. Louis, June 24, 2005 – The fire at Praxair’s gas distributionplant on Chouteau Avenue startedabout 3:15 p.m. on a flatbed truckloaded with tanks of the welding gasacetylene. An alert employee soundedthe alarm and workers quickly fol-lowed emergency plans and clearedthe facility. Within moments, rapid-fire explosions shook the area. Spec-tacular fireballs sailed skyward. Flam-ing fragments of gas cylinders flewblocks away into the Lafayette Squareneighborhood. Firefighters and policeevacuated a wide area around theplant and stopped traffic on Highway40. Hours later, with the scene undercontrol, authorities were amazed noserious injuries had been reported.

But the next day, EER on-scene co-ordinator John Whitaker learned thatfiller materials in some of the acety-lene cylinders held an asbestos-con-taining compound. The blasts hadspread an unknown amount of the ma-terial over the area with the cylinderfragments. “Our initial concerns werethe release of gases and containingcontaminated runoff from fire fight-ing,” recalls Whitaker. “But when weheard about the asbestos, I knew wewere in for a much longer cleanup.”

Over the next several days EERstaff oversaw investigations by Praxairand hazmat contractors, supervisingcollection and testing of outdoor airand surface materials. Asbestosamounts didn’t exceed thresholds for

health concerns, but acleanup of area rooftops,roads and parking lots waslaunched that would contin-ue until late October, 2005.

SOLID SCIENCEIn addition to being

summoned in emergencies,EER staff and their special-ized equipment are increas-ingly called upon to jour-ney statewide to gathersamples and detect prob-lems at waterways, illegaldumps and hazardous wastesites. Skilled workers oper-ate instruments like groundpenetrating radar, a roboticcamera system and portablegas chromatographs to lo-cate and identify all kindsof suspected or potentialchemical hazards. Beginning in 1995,the department acquired hydraulic soilprobes – equipment resembling smalldrill rigs – designed to conduct sub-surface investigations of soil andwater at depths up to 100 feet.

Using such advanced field equip-ment extends and complements chemi-cal analysis performed in the state’sEnvironmental Laboratory, a facilityin Jefferson City also operated by theEnvironmental Services Program.Most EER field-sampling work mustbe backed up by more detailed testingpossible only in a controlled laborato-ry environment.

Kennett, September 22, 2006 –The week this story is filed, an EERteam from Jefferson City heads to theBootheel community of Kennett tostudy groundwater near its drinkingwater wells. Traces of a gasoline addi-tive, methyl tertiary butyl ether(MTBE), were discovered in the

town’s drinking water during routinemonitoring by the city. Rapid follow-up testing has shown only one of thecity’s four wells to be affected, andthe city quickly took it offline. Nocontaminated water will be consumed.

No federal guideline exists for howmuch MTBE may be allowed indrinking water, but tiny measuredamounts ranging from eight to 24parts per billion are enough to makelocal officials cautious. Kennett citi-zens and city leaders gladly welcomethe EER team as it arrives on site toinvestigate the source of the MTBE.

“That’s a really satisfying aspect ofthis job,” said Brian Allen. “Under-neath all the science and technology,the most important thing we do ispretty simple – people need our help,they call, and we go.”

Kerry Cordray is division informationofficer for the department’s Field Ser-vices Division.

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After a 1990 pipeline break near Ethel in MaconCounty, EER cleanup crews contained and removed light crude oil from the Chariton River.

W hile Captain Kirk once speculated that spacewas the final frontier, Missourians are prov-ing that the world beneath our feet is worth

exploring as well. Though underground living may con-jure images of dank, dark spaces more fit for a mole thana business, some entrepreneurs are proving that the sub-terranean lifestyle offers significant advantages.

Missouri’s land has been mined for centuries. Ac-cording to Art Hebrank, site administrator at Missouri

Mines State Historic Site, Native Americans were thefirst to mine here, looking for clay and flint and evenconstructing an underground mine in Franklin County.In the 1720s, European settlers began commercial leadmining. As construction grew, so did the need for stone,quickly outpacing the mining of most other materials.

Hebrank points out that while stone may not be asglamorous as silver or gold, it is the bread and butter ofmany Missouri businesses. “The thing that’s most im-

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by Kathy Deters and Jim Vandike

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portant economically is crushed stone andstone aggregate,” Hebrank said.

Geologic conditions were favorable forunderground quarries, which enabled opera-tors to extract rock from thick, almost hori-zontal layers of bedrock. When the quarry-ing was complete, underground spaceremained, which some progressive quarryoperators soon identified as a second sourceof profit.

They began to evaluate undergroundquarries and their potential for reuse. Soonthis process evolved, and many quarry oper-ators were mining with the dual intent ofusing the remaining space for businesses.

R ecycling Missouri’s underground spaceis certainly not a new concept. The De-

partment of Natural Resources recognizedits value about 25 years ago when the Divi-sion of Geology and Land Survey publishedUnderground Space Resources in Missouri.Geologist John W. (Bill) Whitfield (now re-tired) visited more than 100 undergroundquarries. Several were still operating andsome of the owners intended to develop thespace after mining was completed. Somehad already been developed for further usebut many others had simply been aban-doned after mining ceased. Whitfield foundthat many factors led to the successful reuseof the underground space including roofthickness, physical condition of the rock,floor condition, pillar condition, drainage,water table position and proximity to trans-portation corridors.

Quarry owners and operators whoplanned ahead for the reuse of this under-ground space as it was being mined wereable to create safer, better-constructed facil-ities. They could leave a little more rock be-hind for ceilings, for example, or more sup-port pillars. Though they might mine a littleless material, the result was space that couldbe used for a variety of purposes.

“In many cases, they [quarry owners]actually make more money on the spaceafterward than they do on the rock,”Hebrank said.

Underground facilities that are construct-ed in these leftover spaces are typicallycheaper to build than their surface counter-parts, which translates into cheaper leaserates for tenants. They also stay a mild 60degrees all year, meaning lower utility billsfor owners and tenants.

Bussen Underground Warehouse, a for-mer limestone mine that was engineered

and mined to create a climate-controlledwarehouse, boasts, “Your company canmove up, by moving down to Bussen Un-derground.” Located in south St. LouisCounty, Bussen’s tenants include CustomMidwest Corp, a graphic design company;Inplant Offices, which manufactures pre-finished buildings and walls; SignatureWines; United Fulfillment Company; Sen-sient Flavors; and Kuna Food Service.Bussen also is in the process of building a105,000-square-foot underground ware-house for Unigroup Inc.

In mid-Missouri, many businesses aremoving their warehouses down to SubteraUnderground Warehousing. Located on Sta-dium Boulevard in Columbia, Subtera alsooffers a convenient location, just one milenorth of I-70. This business complex, whichwas produced by the mining of a massiveformation of Burlington Limestone, offers1.3 million square feet of leasable space.

Winter 2007 7

(Opposite page, top)Subtera UndergroundWarehousing is locatedone mile north of I-70 inColumbia, Mo. (Opposite page, bot-tom) SubTropolis, inKansas City, Mo., is re-portedly the world’slargest undergroundbusiness complex.(Below) The officespace for UndergroundRecords Management ispart of Subtera Under-ground Warehousing.

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Kansas City boasts the world’s largestunderground business complex. Though itmight sound like a superhero’s undergroundlair, in fact, Hunt Midwest SubTropolishouses more than 50 local, national and in-ternational businesses.

Created through the mining of a 270-mil-lion-year-old limestone deposit, the facilityis projected to have 50 million square feetof space when fully developed. SubTropolisoffers space for warehouse, distribution andlight manufacturing. Buildings for leaserange from 10,000 to 500,000 square feet.

A ccording to Tim Basler, manager ofsales and leasing for the complex, like

many underground facilities, SubTropolisoffers some important benefits for business-es. Humidity levels are controlled, and be-cause SubTropolis is underground, its build-ings and many miles of paved streets arefree from exposure to outdoor elements andinclement weather, which also reduces in-surance and security costs. Thanks to mild

year-round temperatures, utilitycosts are up to 75 percent less thana traditional business complex andthe work space is more comfort-able for employees.

Underground space develop-ment is, essentially, space recy-cling. If the location and geologyare suitable for underground devel-opment, then the rock can be re-moved in such a way that the spaceleft behind can be easily developedand used. As long as the mining isdone correctly, even the surfacespace above the underground de-velopment can be used.

SubTropolis is located near theintersection of I-435 and Hwy. 210across from Ameristar Casino inKansas City. Those familiar with

the area may recognize that as the site ofanother landmark: the Worlds of Fun andOceans of Fun amusement parks. In fact,many area residents will be surprised toknow that much of SubTropolis is locatedunder these amusement parks.

Underground construction allows busi-nesses to be built near major metropolitancenters, highways and shipping hubs, evenif the surface properties already have beendeveloped. This is a considerable advantagewhen considering start-up infrastructurecosts. They also avoid obstructing views oflocal scenery or historic architecture.

Hunt Midwest develops the surface prop-erty above SubTropolis for industrial usersand sells the space to customers, but retainsownership of everything below ground, al-lowing them to continue mining and to de-velop underground industrial buildings.

“There are many trucking operations,manufacturing companies, hotels, and otheruses above us including the two amusement

(Top) Paved, cli-mate-controlled

storage is a ben-efit of SubTropo-lis, Kansas City.

(Above) Even thelargest trucks

navigate themany miles of

paved streets inSubTropolis.

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parks,” Basler said. This is a considerableadvantage when considering start-up costs.

Though constructing an entire businesscomplex underground might sound like anundertaking similar in scope to the Pyra-mids, Basler said in reality, it’s often sim-pler than a traditional surface structure.

“It is actually easier to build a facility inthe underground because the shell structureis already in place,” Basler said. “We sim-ply pour a concrete floor, hang lights andsprinklers, build some block walls withdock doors, and finish out the office. It isreally a fast process.”

T he greatest obstacle is not the construc-tion or even the maintenance of such a

facility, but rather the stereotypes that ac-company it.

“Perception is our biggest challenge,”Basler said. “People commonly refer to us as‘the caves,’ though we wish they wouldn’t.When people hear the term caves they auto-matically think of bats, stalagmites, etc.That is simply not the case in SubTropolis.We are much closer to an industrial parkthan we are to Fantastic Caverns in south-west Missouri.”

Though business complexes handlingshipping, storage, assembly and other in-dustrial needs are now a popular use of un-derground space, underground construc-tions are by no means limited to these uses.

(Left) Some support pil-lars in “The Mountain”at Branson are massive– 30 feet across andfour times thicker thanrequired by law. Moun-tain Data Center LLC islocated in a still-activedolomite-limestonemine inside a mountainnear Branson. Located100 feet higher than theTable Rock Lake dam,The Mountain hasserved as a secure stor-age facility for businessrecords and valuablesfor years.

(Above) The Mountainrecently added a Tier-Four data center withindependent power. Artobjects and even arti-facts from the Titanicare stored here by bothsmall businesses andlarge corporations. TheMountain has ninewater wells on-site, aswell as its own waste-water treatment facility.Vehicles are all electricto maintain air quality.

In Missouri, a variety of businesses havefound their way underground over theyears, such as the tennis courts and under-ground railroad facilities at Carthage Un-derground Storage; a boat repair and stor-age facility at Sharp Marina near the Lakeof the Ozarks; and even Caveland RollerRink, a popular spot in Festus in the 1970s.In fact, the only limit to the use of under-ground development projects may be one’sown imagination.

Kathy Deters is a public information coor-dinator for the department. Jim Vandike is agroundwater section chief at the Water Re-sources Center in Rolla.

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by Chris Cadyphotographs by Scott Myers

I n summer 2006, the Missouri Depart-ment of Natural Resources finalized theMissouri Risk-Based Corrective Action

(MRBCA) Process, (pronounced “M-Re-becca” by its users) to streamline the reme-diation of sites contaminated by hazardoussubstances. The new system will help focusfinite resources on sites with the highestrisks by tailoring cleanup of each site to alevel appropriate for the property owner’sintended future use of the land.

Who is this Rebecca, Anyhow?Throughout the ‘60s and ‘70s, environ-

mental pollution got a lot of attention, and agroundswell of support emerged for envi-ronmental regulation. The Resource Con-servation and Recovery Act, and Compre-hensive Environmental Response,Compensation and Liability Act (Super-fund) laid out requirements for hazardous

Meet RebeccaCleanups Based on

Environmental Risk

10 Missouri Resources

site remediation. By the early ‘80s, withLove Canal and Times Beach in the news,the pendulum swung toward very stringentstandards. With multiple regulations inplace, the decision-making process for haz-ardous substance cleanup was fragmentedand inconsistent.

If you owned a contaminated site,your choices for cleanup were:

• Clean up to a zero concentration ofthe contaminants. It sounds great, apristine site, free of pollution. Butany environmental scientist willtell you that is impossible to do andimpossible to verify. No lab instru-ment in the world can demonstrate“zero” concentration.

• Clean up to the limits of detectabil-ity. This was done many times inthe past and still occurs. But it hasno direct connection to safety andhealth of the environment or hu-mans. Why should the limitationsof a lab instrument determine whatis safe?

• Perform a very complicated and ex-pensive “site-specific risk assess-ment” to determine safe levels.History has shown that many re-sponsible parties would ratherargue in court than open their wal-lets and begin spending money onsuch a project. The burning ques-tion was why clean something up ifit isn’t actually a safety risk? Howcould the risk level be assessedmore easily?

(Opposite page) The 24-story, art deco ContinentalLife Building was a presti-gious office building in St.Louis from the 1930s to themid-1950s. Renovationbegan 25 years after thelast tenant left in 1974. (Below left to right) The ex-terior walls and windowswere repaired and painted.New fixtures, window treat-ments and artwork replacedinterior decay.

(Above bottom) The burned-out hulk that had been the Sunshine Bis-cuit bakery and the nearby Zea Chemical Building in Kansas City wonthe Phoenix Award in 2000 after the Planned Industrial Expansion Au-thority acquired the property and began redevelopment of the Lewisand Clark Redevelopment Area (Top).

Winter 2007 11

Until that point, many areas with con-taminated groundwater, calledplumes, were always cleaned to meetdrinking water standards. The newlaw forced the question, “Was thewater being used, or was it a suitablesource that could be used?” Therewere exceptions in the bill, so thatnatural springs and other outstandingwaters were always protected, butmost sites could now be considered ontheir own merits.

The first stab at a rule draft, writtensolely by the Department of NaturalResources after input from industry,was not satisfactory to any of the af-fected parties.

In a key move that would influencepolicy for years to come, the MissouriClean Water Commission, in 2002, di-rected the department to engage in amore collaborative process with stake-holders to write the rules.

The challenge was to create astreamlined, technically defensibleprocess to address a broad range ofcontaminated sites in Missouri. Thenew overarching process needed to beboth flexible and predictable, as well asbeing applicable to all types of contam-inated sites, regardless of the state orfederal governing statutes for cleanup.

What started as an effort to make iteasier to reach safe closure on siteswith contaminated groundwater becamean all-encompassing system, coveringsoil and groundwater contamination onall types of sites with one set of unifiedrisk-based cleanup standards.

The comprehensive nature of theMRBCA guidance document, and itsinherent flexibility and predictabilityare expected to result in more and fastercleanups, especially in the department’sBrownfields/Voluntary Clean-Up Pro-gram (BVCP). “MRBCA is a soundplatform upon which common senseand science can come together for themutual benefit of the environment andthe economy,” said Natural ResourcesDirector Doyle Childers.

Evolving StandardsEnvironmental science in the mod-

ern age is a moving target. While somestandards have become less stringentover time, others have been added dur-

A lot of time and effort were spentnationally in the process of developingnew policies in response to this prob-lem. In the ‘90s, state-sponsored insur-ance funds responsible for cleaning upgas station storage tank leaks – by farthe most common type of polluted site– were going broke paying for massivesoil removals. Regulators and the regu-lated community alike were unsure thatsuch a level of cleanup was necessary.

Other properties where cleanup wasnot required by regulation, or whereregulators weren’t even aware of thecontamination, simply sat idle. Theirowners knew, or feared, that cleanupcosts would drain their wallets andcould even exceed the value of theproperty. By 1995, the federal govern-ment estimated that so-called “brown-

fields” – properties where reuse wascomplicated due to known or suspectedcontamination – numbered as many ashalf a million nationwide.

An alternative began to emerge:cleaning up to a level safe for humanhealth and the environment based onboth science and the planned futureuse of the property, using a simplifiedbut safe decision-making process.Thus was born the concept of risk-based site remediation.

Rebecca is BornIn 1999, the Missouri General As-

sembly passed Senate Bill 334, a sim-ple bill requiring the department to es-tablish cleanup standards forgroundwater based on actual risk.

(Right) The seven-story MerchandiseMart, on WashingtonAvenue, St. Louis,began its career in1888-89 as a tobaccocompany office build-ing. It obtained itsname in the 1940s and1950s as home to adry goods and whole-sale business. (Below) It became va-cant in 1984, but arestoration plan for thebuilding was approvedin 2001. It is listed onthe National Registryof Historic Places.

12 Missouri Resources

site information over the web to localagencies such as planning and zoningand building permitting offices.

“There are questions here. Will thissystem be effective in the long term,and how will it be paid for? It’s a grandexperiment,” said Jim Belcher, the de-partment’s BVCP chief. Staff is closelywatching other state LTS programs andnotable LTS failures in the news.“We’ve had incidents in Missouri, butwe haven’t had any serious breaches re-sulting in exposures. We dissect the fail-ures that happen in other states to helpdesign our systems, because we don’twant to be those guys,” Belcher added.

So Far, So GoodMore than 50 brownfield sites and

over 300 petroleum storage tank siteshave already been remediated and closedout under the new system. The process isalso being implemented for some Super-fund and RCRA-permitted sites. It’s esti-mated there are thousands of potentiallycontaminated sites in the state. Withthese kinds of numbers, it’s never tooearly to streamline the cleanup process.

For more information on the MissouriRisk-Based Corrective Action (MRBCA)process, visit the MRBCA page at[www.dnr.mo.gov/env/hwp/mrbca/mrbca.htm] or the Brownfields page at[www.missouribrownfields.com].

Chris Cady, Ph.D., is an environmentalspecialist with the Hazardous WasteProgram’s Brownfields/VoluntaryCleanup section.

ing the last decade. The migration ofvapors from soil or groundwater intobuildings through cracks in the founda-tion – so-called “vapor intrusion” – hasrecently become recognized as a newpathway of concern. When sandy orgravelly soils are contaminated withvolatile substances such as solvents,low levels of vapors seeping intobuildings can pose a long-term risk tothe occupants.

For the first time, this exposurepathway was incorporated into Mis-souri’s cleanup guidance with MRBCA.

Rich Nussbaum, unit chief with theRCRA permits section, said, “Thereare going to be various issues thatcome to light, and we’ll be seeking so-lutions both internally and externally.It’s a living document.”

While standards may change as timegoes on, MRBCA’s goal is to makesure no site is cleaned up less than itneeds to be. The guidance can be up-dated as new science emerges for thebenefit of all.

For a project manager, any site planhas to pass the common sense test. Isthis complicated machine – and that’swhat it is, a calculating machine – giv-ing a result that is protective, defensi-ble and sustainable in the long term?

“There is so much flexibility andso many possible outcomes for agiven site, that the process has to beused prudently,” said consultant KeithPiontek, a member of the MRBCAstakeholder group. That’s why thefinal decisions are always in thehands of people.

Long-Term Stewardship: An Ongoing Experiment

One issue being closely watched islong-term stewardship (LTS) of thosesites that are not cleaned up to unre-stricted use standards. If a site is notclean enough for residential use, or thegroundwater is judged unsuitable fordrinking water, some mechanism mustbe put in place to ensure that require-ment is met as long as the contamina-tion still poses a risk. And, that infor-mation has to get into the rightpeople’s hands at the right time.MRBCA refers to these as “Activityand Use Limitations.”

Currently, the department reliesheavily on restrictive covenants placedin the property chain of title to achievethis, but there is no uniform, consistentapproach to LTS among the various re-mediation programs, nor a guaranteethat covenants will be observed.

How do you make sure a sewermaintenance crew doesn’t dig into acapped area and expose itself to con-taminated soil? New ideas are beingconsidered. Utility companies preventdamage to their underground facilitiesby utilizing One-Call systems to in-form excavators about the location ofunderround utility lines. Enteringcleanup sites that contain residual con-tamination or specialized undergroundfacilities into those systems could ex-pand protection.

An ongoing research and develop-ment project using expert consultantsis determining new ways to serve up

(Far left) Department of Natural Re-sources Director Doyle Childers talkswith Larry Sharp of Whitmire Re-search Laboratories. Also pictured,from left, Sungmi Kim, environmentalconsultant for Whitmire, Scott Totten,chief ombudsman for the departmentand Atul Salhotra (far right), environ-mental consultant for Whitmire.(Left) Monitoring wells dot the park-ing lot at Whitmire Research Labora-tories where solvent contaminationfrom the 1970s was detected duringan environmental risk assessment ofthe property.

Winter 2007 13

need 2,444 land disturbance and 1,074sewer extension permits annually. Untilrecently, understanding and filling outthe paperwork was quite a chore.

“In the past, people had to fill outapplications and registrations by handor on a typewriter, and you may haveneeded to visit one of our offices to gethelp to complete them,” said DoyleChilders, director of the department.“Now, about 70 percent of those can becompleted on your computer.”

When customers are done filling outa form, they can print, sign and mail it tothe Department of Natural Resources.The department also is working towardbeing able to accept electronic submis-sion of these as well as accepting elec-tronic payments.

The department issues nearly 30,000permits each year to protect the state’snatural resources. There are more than150 types of permits used by facilities,communities and citizens to do busi-ness in Missouri. The department isfocusing its efforts on the 25 permitsthat account for about 80 percent of thestate’s environmental permit traffic.

Businesses, communities and citi-zens can check the department’s Website regularly at [www.dnr.mo.gov/forms/]for updated information and forms asthey become available.

This is another component in thedepartment’s larger, ongoing effort tosimplify the way it does business.

Whitmire Micro-GenMRBCA Cleanup

Missouri Departmentof Natural Resources

Director DoyleChilders recently

unveiled newcleanup guid-

ance, known asMissouri’s Risk-Based

Corrective Action, at Whitmire Micro-Gen Research Laboratories located inValley Park.

MRBCA can be used to better man-age possibly contaminated propertiessuch as manufacturing, industrial orcommercial sites. Whitmire Micro-GenResearch Laboratories is one of the first

New SatelliteOffices Open

The MissouriDepartment of

NaturalResources held

open houses inDec. 2006 satellite offices in WillowSprings and Fredericktown.

The department’s satellite offices inWillow Springs and Fredericktown willcomplement and extend the environ-mental services provided to the regionby the department’s SoutheastRegional Office at Poplar Bluff. Otheroffices opened to serve the southeastregion during the last year include loca-tions in Rolla and Portageville.

The Howell County Satellite Officeholds one environmental specialist fordrinking water and wastewater issues.The Madison County Satellite Office willbe staffed by two environmental spe-cialists dealing with drinking water,wastewater, air pollution, solid wasteand hazardous waste issues. Bothoffices will also provide nearby countieswith facility inspections and complianceassistance services.

In the last year the department hasalso opened satellite offices inCarthage, Maryville, Portageville, Rollaand Warsaw. The satellite offices arethe newest part of the department’sField Services Division, which overseesthe agency’s five regional offices, 13additional satellite offices,Environmental Services Program andother key field activities. For a map ofthe department’s regional and satelliteoffices, visit the department’s Web pageat [www.dnr.mo.gov/regions/regions.htm].

The Howell County Satellite Office islocated at 906 Springfield Road inWillow Springs; phone (417) 469-0025.The new Madison County office is at120 West Main in Fredericktown;phone: (573) 783-2385.

DepartmentImproves PermitAccess

Missouri busi-nesses, communities and citizens may

companies in the nation to use the newcleanup guidance process.

“The new process will give propertyowners more flexibility and makecleanups potentially cheaper, thusallowing more contaminated sites inMissouri to be cleaned up and becomesafer for the public health and the envi-ronment,” Childers said.

The use of the MRBCA enabledWhitmire to obtain a Letter ofCompletion from the department’sBrownfields/Voluntary CleanupProgram. The department’s cleanupcertification declared the site safe fornon-residential use and provided docu-mentation required for the sale of theproperty to another owner.

For additional information aboutMRBCA, please visit the department’sWeb site at [www.dnr.mo.gov/env/hwp/mrbca/mrbca.htm].

An article on the MRBCA programappears on pages 10-13 in this issue ofMissouri Resources.

DGLSHostsClusterMeeting

The Division of Geology and LandSurvey hosted the Association ofAmerican State Geologists CentralStates Cluster meeting. The discussionfocused on new and ongoing projectsfor each state and ways that staff learnor benefit from the experiences of aneighboring geological survey.

Topics ranged from geologic haz-ards, mineral and energy resources,geologic maps, earthquakes, oil andgas production, core sample storage,STATEMAP, source water protection,water supply and rights, ethanol plants,to Web site design and maintenance.

The group toured the division’s EdClark Museum of Missouri Geology andheard a presentation by state geologistand division director Mimi Garstangabout the December 2005 Taum SaukReservoir failure.

Cheryl Seeger, a Department ofNatural Resources geologist from Rolla,led a discussion about the incrediblegeologic history of Missouri that was

14 Missouri Resources

spanned more than three decades. Theinitial challenge was how to dispose ofcontaminated material left on-site.Rather than shipping the material,which included buildings, equipment,and soil, the decision was made toentomb the materials in an on-site dis-posal cell. Completed in 2001, the 45-acre, 75-foot high disposal cell contains1.5 million cubic yards of waste that willneed monitoring for generations tocome. However, what could have beenmerely a safe repository for hazardous

to clean up the Department of Energy’sWeldon Spring site in St. CharlesCounty. Contamination of this 17,000-acre site included hazardous andradioactive materials from a World WarII explosives manufacturing plant andlater a uranium processing facility. Thesite had pits filled with contaminatedwater, buildings that were used for pro-cessing TNT and uranium, and soil thatcontained hazardous materials.

Cooperation among these, otheragencies and local groups has

revealed as the dam failed and waterscoured the side of Proffit Mountain.

“It has been a number years sinceRolla has had an opportunity to host ameeting for other state geological sur-veys in the central region. It was trulyour pleasure,” said Garstang. “We havemuch in common and it is always help-ful to share information.”

Central region members who attend-ed include: Bekki White, director andstate geologist, Arkansas GeologicalCommission; Scott Ausbrooks, geolo-gist, Arkansas Geological Commission;Vince Matthews, director and state geol-ogist, Colorado; Bob Libra, state geolo-gist, Iowa; Bill Harrison, director andstate geologist, Kansas; Rex Buchanan,associate director for public outreach,Kansas; Harvey Thorleifson, director,Minnesota Geological Survey; MarkKuzila, director, Nebraska Conservationand Survey; Charles Mankin, directorand state geologist, Oklahoma; and EricPotter, associate director, Texas Bureauof Economic Geology.

GovernorHonorsMoDNREmployees

Gov. Matt Blunthas honoredDepartment ofNatural Resources Department of Healthand Senior Services and Department ofConservation staff with the 2006Governor’s Award for Quality andProductivity. The award recognizes ongo-ing efforts to improve state government.

This is the 18th annual award recog-nizing state government teams’ collec-tive effort to continuously increase qual-ity and productivity. “The honorees area sample of the tremendous quality anddedication Missouri state governmentemployees exemplify,” Blunt said. “Icommend them and all state employ-ees who work every day to serveMissourians, make the most for everytax dollar and eliminate waste.”

The Department of NaturalResources, in coordination with the U.S.Environmental Protection Agency andthe U.S. Department of Energy, worked

Let There be (a Little Less) Light …

To paraphrase a well known text, it has been written: “Let there be light. And therewas light and it was good. ... ” But in today’s skies, how much light is too much?

The National Park Trust at [www.parktrust.org/parklandnews/articles/DarkNightSkies.htm]says: “The proliferation of poor quality outdoor lighting is the principle threat to the nighttimescene. Urban sky glow can travel over 200 miles, affecting remote wilderness and parks.Moderate amounts of light pollution can cut the number of visible stars in half or more, whileskies within a few miles of cities will be decimated. Not only can one’s backcountry campingexperience be tainted, but also nocturnal wildlife suffers ill effects to varying degrees. Theproblem is far from intractable, however, with modern lighting designs that produce very lit-tle scattered light [becoming] increasingly available. High-quality lighting improves security,reduces energy consumption and is often less expensive. Some communities have chosento upgrade their lights, instantly improving the night sky and reaping these other benefits.”

Kansas City and Columbia are both working toward night-friendlier lighting ordi-nances, according to Robert Wagner at [www.trianglealumni.org/mcrol/]. Currently,Missouri does not regulate nighttime lighting.

Brightly lit shopping malls and the glare of urban sprawl are obscuring the nighttimeview. In fact, 99 percent of U.S. residents live in areas tainted by excessive outdoor light-ing, known as light pollution, according to the National Aeronautics and SpaceAdministration. The Milky Way is visible only in increasingly remote regions, astronomerssay. But a growing number of city and state governments are taking up the fight toreclaim the night. For lawmakers, the issue is about energy efficiency and safety, as wellas good stargazing. Various regulations aimed at reducing light pollution have been intro-duced in 32 states in the past decade.

Too much light at night can affect the life rhythms of most animals and some studieshave linked it to cancers in humans who work night shifts. It also has been estimated thatmore than four million migrating birds are confused and killed in collisions with lightedcommunications towers in the United States each year.

As part of the recovery of the Johnson’s Shut-Ins State Park, the “promotion of sus-tainability” plan under consideration would include the use of alternative light sources toreduce light pollution within the park. Some western states, such as New Mexico, areworking to preserve dark sky areas for star seekers and photographers. For more infor-mation, check [www.darksky.org/index.html].

Winter 2007 15

16 Missouri Resources

to assist water and wastewater systemoperators through the process of enact-ing appropriate ordinances and establish-ing adequate and proportional user rates.

The department developed themodel ordinances and correspondingrate setting tools around the require-ments for the State Revolving FundLeveraged Loan Program and othergrant and loan programs administeredby the department’s FinancialAssistance Center. The department hasposted these model ordinances andrate setting tools on its Web site at[www.dnr.mo.gov/env/wpp/srf/srf-app_guid.htm].

and radioactive waste is now a neweducational and recreational attraction.

This revitalized area now serves thecommunity in a new way. An on-siteinterpretive center shows the history,cleanup and current status of site moni-toring. Native prairies have been re-established and the Hamburg hike-and-bike trail was opened this year. Thisarea now provides an opportunity tolearn about history and enjoy nature.

Help for Water andWastewater Systems

The Missouri Department of NaturalResources has developed several tools

Currently, the department has devel-oped Drinking Water Use, DrinkingWater User Charge, Sewer Use andSewer User Charge model ordinances.In addition, companion rate settingtools are also available for the waterand sewer user charge ordinances.These rate-setting tools are Excel-based workbooks that can be easilymodified to fit the specific needs ofmost water and wastewater systems.

User charge and use ordinances arecrucial in establishing and maintainingviable water and wastewater systems.The Water Use and Sewer Use ordi-nances define the requirements associat-

I was reading the fall edition regarding camping in Missouristate parks. The Mo-Jac Trailer Club originated in 1963. We weretruly dedicated campers and part of the original six members.

The club still exists today. Our most recent trip was toBabler State Park. Only four trailers are left but we still have 17members. We still join the “trailerites” for the day and meet-ing. Meetings were always the third weekend from Marchthrough October. We covered the state, including Trail ofTears, Montauk, Wakonda, Arrow Rock; Washington StatePark was our favorite for October.

Every couple took turns being elected officers or wagonmaster during the year. Those were great memories, ouryoungest was four months old.

In our history book, we can account for all of our trips andstill have the camping agendas.

Cay GendonSt. Ann

On behalf of the City of Marshfield, I wish to thank yourmagazine for the very complimentary article about Marshfieldin your fall issue.

The City of Marshfield – in cooperation with Rita Mueller ofthe Southwest Missouri Resource Conservation and Develop-ment Council and Dr. Robert Reed of the University of Mis-souri-Columbia – has worked very hard to plan for futuregrowth. We received a great deal of support from the citizensand technical advisors that serve on our watershed commit-tees. DNR has offered continual help to the City of Marshfield,and has proven itself to be a very valuable resource in plan-ning for growth. We commend the many DNR employees thatserve Missouri citizens so well, and we appreciate the depart-ment’s leadership and willingness to share resources andknowledge.

Thank you to Missouri Resources – including Philip J.Tremblay and Scott Myers – for reporting on the partnership

between the city and DNR so accurately. We look forward to acontinued partnership with DNR, and hope that other govern-ment entities look to this partnership as an example of positiveprogress involving many levels of government.

Dan McMillanCity Administrator, Marshfield

I would like to see the department study the effects of lightpollution in Missouri. This is a problem that affects our stateparks, environment and energy resources. Both Kansas Cityand Columbia are in the process of drafting city ordinances. I am working with the Kansas City group and have providedstatements to the Columbia group.

Some national organizations and states have realized thisis a problem and are starting to address light pollution in out-door lighting. But a lack of knowledge and understanding ofthe problem limit full adoption of such policies. Perhaps thedepartment can inform our residents and policy makers aboutlight pollution, its causes and how it affects every Missourian.The result could be a basic understanding of good lightingprinciples.

Robert WagnerMidwest Citizens for Responsible Outdoor LightingKansas City

Editor’s Note:

Although the Department of Natural Resources has no reg-ulatory authority in which to address light pollution, it is a subject of interest to many Missourians. See Environmental Notes on page15 of this issue for more information on the topic.

Letters intended for publication should be addressed to “Letters,” Missouri Resources, P.O. Box 176, Jefferson City, MO65102-0176 or faxed to (573) 522-6262, attention: “Letters.” Please include your name, address and daytime phone number. Space may require us to edit your letter. You also can e-mail Missouri Resources staff at moresdnr@dnr.mo.gov

Winter 2007 17

When the mystery site is announced,the Web site will include some insightfrom the division director on his visit tothe park or site along with some per-spective about the state park system.When participants submit an entry, theyare invited to give their impressions andcomments about the park or site, or thestate park system in general.

The new feature is a fun and inter-esting way to interact with the divisiondirector and learn more aboutMissouri’s state park system. To sign upfor the Missouri State Park eFriendsand receive regular e-mail updates onthe state park system, send an e-mail to[moparks@dnr.mo.gov].

OmbudsmenBusy DuringFirst Year

In their first year,the seven Missouri

Department of Natural Resources’ombudsmen have contacted 2,145 citizens, community leaders and busi-ness owners.

“When I established theOmbudsman Program in September2005, I envisioned it as an opportunityto help to strengthen Missouri’s com-munities while also addressing head-onmany of the negative myths and rumorsthat existed about the department. I’mpleased to say that in its first year, thisprogram has far exceeded my expecta-tions,” said Natural Resources DirectorDoyle Childers.

The ombudsmen inform the regionaldirectors and the department director ofissues, concerns and problems theylearn of while meeting with area clientsof the department.

“The ombudsmen and I also haveconducted town meetings acrossMissouri to answer questions and gaininput from citizens, business leadersand city officials. So far, we’ve held 73town meetings and met with more than1,000 citizens,” Childers said.

Through their contacts, departmentombudsmen provide support to commu-nities working to make improvements toailing infrastructure systems, to businessowners seeking assistance in meeting

ed with design, construction, connectionto, and the use of the water or waste-water system. The User Charge ordi-nances contain the methodology used toestablish the water or sewer rates neces-sary for a financially strong system.

The department’s SRF Program pro-vides low-interest loans to communitiesfor wastewater and drinking water infra-structure projects. Since 1989, the SRFhas provided more than $1.54 billion to300 Missouri communities for waste-water treatment and drinking waterfacilities. Towns and cities across thestate have saved more than $478 mil-lion dollars in interest charges. In addi-tion, projects financed by the fundresulted in the creation of nearly 35,000new jobs.

For more information on the modelordinances, rate setting tools or theSRF Program, call the Water ProtectionProgram’s Financial Assistance Centerat 1-800-361-4827 or (573) 751-1192.

Parks Director on eFriends

A new feature, Find theDirector, has been addedto Missouri State ParkeFriends, an electronicnewsletter for people inter-ested in Missouri state parks and his-toric sites. Each eFriends issue willinclude a photograph of a state park orhistoric site featuring Doug Eiken, thedirector of the Department of NaturalResources’ Division of State Parks.There also will be clues to where thephoto was taken. Participants can try to“find the director” and guess the identityof the park or site to qualify for a prize.

Each entry should include name,address, phone number and e-mailaddress and be submitted by the lastFriday of each month. Each correctentry will be entered into a monthlydrawing to win a prize, such as a certifi-cate for two free nights of camping inany Missouri state park or historic sitecampground or other prizes. Winnerswill be notified and announced the fol-lowing month on the Web site, whichwill include the answer to the mysterypark or site.

environmental standards, to citizens try-ing to address problems in their com-munities and a range of other issues.

“Our work is about helping peopleaddress their needs and to meet thedreams they have for their businessesand communities,” said Scott Totten,chief of the Ombudsman Program. “Inthe process, we hope to build lastingrelationships with citizens.”

“When I hear success stories fromour ombudsmen, they often mentionthat these accomplishments would notbe possible without the support and fol-low-through by staff in other parts of theagency. I often hear about the highdegree of professionalism and expertisefound throughout the department,”Childers said.

More information on the ombudsmanprogram is available at [www.dnr.mo.gov/magazine/2006-fall.pdf].

Popular Scrap TireRoundup is Back

For Missouriproperty ownerswho havebetween 500 and10,000 scrap tires

on their property and want to properlydispose of them, the MissouriDepartment of Natural Resources isoffering an opportunity to have thosetires removed free of charge.

The Tire Dump Roundup program isproviding all Missouri property ownersthe opportunity to report illegal scraptire dumps on their property and helpremove them from the environment.

To qualify, the scrap tire dump mustcontain between 500 and 10,000 tiresand the owner must sign a propertyaccess agreement that states if a prop-erty owner violates the solid wastemanagement law in the future, thedepartment can assess penalties andcost recovery for those incidents.

Active businesses and property own-ers who have participated in priorcleanup initiatives are not eligible.

The Tire Dump Roundup is fundedfrom the state’s 50-cent-per-tire scraptire fee collected by retailers whenevery new tire is purchased in Missouri.

18 Missouri Resources

Fires at tire dumps can release haz-ardous substances into the air, landand water, and can burn for months.

When recycled properly, scrap tirescan be made into other products orburned for fuel. In 2004 and 2005,more than 8 million tires were used astire-derived-fuel in power plants.

The department is also working withthe Missouri Department of

To date, more than 14 million tiresacross Missouri have been cleaned upwith the funds from this fee. Thedepartment will continue to work withSolid Waste Districts and not-for-profitcitizens groups in cleaning up dumpsthat contain less than 500 tires.

Insects and rodents that grow andbreed in these dumps can transmit dis-eases, such as the West Nile Virus.

Transportation to promote the use ofscrap tires in asphalt for roadways.

For more information on Missouri’sscrap tire fee efforts, visit the depart-ment’s Web page at [www.dnr.mo.gov/env/swmp], or contact the department’sscrap tire unit at 1-800-361-4827 or(573) 526-3909.

State FundsSewer, WaterImprovements

Gov. Matt Blunt hasannounced that 10Missouri communities

and two public water districts havereceived $85.2 million in low-interestloans to construct and improve waterand wastewater treatment facilities.

Working through the MissouriDepartment of Natural Resources’State Revolving Fund, communitieswill receive loans with an averageinterest rate of 1.37 percent. Loanrecipients are Arnold, Herculaneum,Indian Point, Jefferson City, Kirksville,Liberty, Newburg, Osage Beach,Russellville, Wentzville, ClarenceCannon Wholesale Water Commissionserving Monroe County and the sur-rounding area, and Tri-County WaterAuthority serving Jackson, Bates andCass counties.

“The State Revolving Fund hasfinanced $1.54 billion for constructionstatewide and saved Missouri commu-nities more than $478 million in inter-est,” said Department of NaturalResources Director Doyle Childers.

The SRF is a perpetual loan pro-gram operated by the Department ofNatural Resources in cooperation withthe State Environmental Improvementand Energy Resources Authority thatprovides subsidized, low-interest loansto communities and public water andsewer districts statewide to constructwater and wastewater treatment facili-ties. Federal funds through the U.S.Environmental Protection Agency areused to secure bonds issued by theEIERA. The water and sewer bondsprovide $143 in construction for every$100 in federal funds at a significantlylower interest rate.

Before it became an expensive subdivision west of Binder Lake, near JeffersonCity, Matt Distler’s farm was the site of this 1960 wheat threshing activity. Theharvest would provide feed for the farm’s horses, cows, hogs and chickens. Thedraft horses that brought the far wagon to the scene were reportedly tied up inthe shade before the threshing machine was started.

The family crew, from left, included Paul Viet, Joe Brauner, Leroy Hentges, MattDistler, Judge Fred Distler and Walter Brauner. “Sooner” – sooner sleep than eat– is the dog under the wagon. Viet and the Brauner brothers married into theDistler family. Hentges, the photographer’s father, turned 90 in November 2006.Matt is shown running the pipe that stacked the straw. Fred, on the tractor,served several years as presiding commissioner of Cole County. Other familyand neighbors gathered wheat shocks as the threshing continued.

“After the work, the womenfolk would serve a full-course meal prepared on thewood stove, fresh bread, homemade pie, honey, fresh butter and jelly, allwashed down with sweet tea dipped from a large washtub sitting under a shadetree with a block of ice floating in it,” recalls the photographer, then 19-year-oldBob Hentges.

Send your photo to “Time Exposures,”c/o Missouri Resources, P.O. Box 176, Jef-ferson City, MO 65102-0176. All pictures willbe returned via insured mail. Pre-1970 en-vironmental and natural resource photosfrom Missouri will be considered. Pleasetry to include the date and location of thepicture, a brief description and any relatedhistoric details that might be of interest toour readers.

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Dan Leyland

Clear Water Specialist

D an Leyland, an environmentalspecialist III at the Southwest

Regional Office, Field Services Divi-sion, was selected as the Missouri De-partment of Natural Resources’ Janu-ary 2006 Employee of the Month.Soon, he also was named to receivethe March 2006 State Employee of the Month award.

Leyland was nominated by Craig Re-ichert and Tina White, also of the re-gional office in Springfield, for his in-dependent efforts to create a stormwater pollution control system at theShepherd of the Hills Fish Hatchery.The hatchery’s parking lot previously dumped runoff water directlyinto the trophy trout area of Lake Taneycomo. The sand filter sys-tem used now is capable of removing 75 to 80 percent of pollutantsfrom surface runoff and helps protect the lake’s water quality.

The lake provides drinking water for thousands of people, supportstrout stream habitat, serves area wastewater plants and providesscenic value in a highly visited part of Missouri. Leyland says pro-tecting Taneycomo’s water clarity is critical.

“Leyland’s hard work and the amount of initiative he put into thisproject shows his dedication to the mission of the department,”said Reichert. “Since the early 1990s, he has been a key player inthe Branson area land development boom, most recently in thecontroversial Branson Landing development. He could retire any-time, but he continues to work at protecting the environment,” thenominating team said. “He has volunteered his free time on week-ends and evenings to work on … projects beneficial to our area.”

Leyland is described as having considerable knowledge of the en-vironmental regulatory process, methods of investigation and theanalysis and techniques needed to maintain environmental con-trols. He spends a vast amount of time mentoring and providingon-the-job training to new employees.

“I try to help people get into compliance with environmental regula-tions,” Leyland said. “I know I have to do my best to give business-es an opportunity to succeed while protecting the environment.”He commended the businesses and state agencies involved withthe Branson Landing project. “They have worked cooperativelyand even beyond regulation expectations,” Leyland added.

Leyland graduated from the College of the Ozarks, Point Lookout,with a degree in biology. He first worked as a commercial fishermanbefore joining the agency’s Poplar Bluff regional office in 1976.

Leyland lives north of Sparta, in Christian County, with his wifePhyllis. He has two children, also living in Sparta, and three grand-children – all girls. His hobbies include reading, swimming andraising a calf or two each year. Leyland has worked for the depart-ment for more than 29 years.

“I try my best, like everyone else in the department, to help thefolks we visit in the field to understand what our job is. I’m proud towork for the citizens of Missouri,” Leyland said.

Watkins Mill Volunteers

Keeping History Alive

I t takes work to maintain and operate a farm. To interpret andpresent the 1,442-acre Bethany Plantation, now known as the

Watkins Woolen Mill State Park and State Historic Site, it also takesvolunteers – really good volunteers.

In June 2006, 67 volunteers andMatt Carletti, volunteer coordina-tor and administrator for the his-toric site, were presented the Vic-tor E. Speas Foundation Award foroutstanding corporate/public vol-unteer program from the Volun-teer Coordinators’ Council ofGreater Kansas City. The VCCbrings together area volunteermanagers and others interested involunteerism for mutual support,exchange of ideas and informa-tion and educational programs ofinterest to its membership.

To present life on an 1870s plan-tation and operating woolen mill,the Watkins Mill volunteers dedicated 2,208 hours of their time in2005 to repair equipment, craft period tools, maintain the groundsand garden, repair and create period clothing, give tours andmaintain nearly 1,000 items in the site’s archives to present an au-thentic reenactment for 13,000 visitors each summer.

The park and historic site is located northeast of Kansas City, inClay County, eight miles east of I-35. The adjacent wooded hill-sides and pastures of the Watkins farm now provide scenic recre-ation such as camping and picnicking. A 100-acre lake offers fish-ing, swimming and boating as well as a paved bicycle path thatcircles the lake.

As a local legacy, the restoration began with the purchase of themill by three men who formed the nonprofit Watkins Mill Associa-tion. With continued support from this association, the home andholdings of Waltus Lockett Watkins have been restored, along withoutbuildings, the woolen factory and gristmill and a nearby churchand unusual octagonal schoolhouse. The mill is now the only 19thcentury American woolen mill with its original machinery still intact.

“With limited staff and limited funds, volunteers are a necessity atthe site,” said Carletti. “They help state park staff in all aspects ofthe site’s operation and in turn receive a chance to use their abili-ties and talents to positively influence the community.”

The Watkins Mill Volunteer Program recruits through a prominentvolunteer display at the site’s visitor center, a link on the site’s Webpage and through a partnership with the Heart of America UnitedWay. Volunteers are selected for special training in particular skills.Further evaluations and a program rating system also are employed.

In March 2006, the Watkins Mill Association sponsored the 14th an-nual appreciation dinner for volunteers awarding certificates andgifts based on the time and expertise they volunteered.

“Without volunteers in the beginning, our historic site would neverhave come into existence,” said Carletti.

Dan Leyland

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Watkins Mill Volunteers

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Winter 2007 19

by Diane Tuckerphotographs by Scott Myers

“ I’ve been coming down here for years!” This is a familiar phrase heard often at one ofMissouri’s premier trout fishing parks, Bennett Spring State Park. Established in 1924 as one of Missouri’s earliest state parks, the park receives an annual visitation of more

than 800,000. Many of these visitors come to fish trout from the park’s namesake, BennettSpring, which provides the park’s spring branch with an average of more than 100 milliongallons of water each day.

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★

Dallas &LacledeCounties

Dallas & Laclede Counties

Winter 2007 21

(Opposite page) Trout fish-ing brings many visitors toBennett Spring State Park.Here a fisherman prepareshis tackle below the spill-way while others work thepool above the dam. (Above) The gauge stationand one of the park’s cab-ins display the craftsman-ship that the Civilian Con-servation Corps brought tothe park in the mid-1930s.

It wasn’t always trout fishing that drewpeople to the area. For centuries, early trav-elers wandered through the area looking forshelter. American Indians canoed the net-work of rivers throughout the Ozarks andcame to the spring, leaving behind numer-ous artifacts in nearby floodplains and shel-ter caves, some dating as early as 7000 BC.

In 1837, James Brice brought his familyto the area to homestead. He constructed thefirst of five mills built between 1837 and1900. Local farmers came to use the milland drink water from what became knownas Brice’s spring. More families moved intothe region and a settlement called Brice wasformed around the mill. Shortly before theCivil War, Brice’s younger daughter Annamarried Peter Bennett, who took over oper-ation of the mill.

Later, their son, W.S. Bennett, managedwhat was then called Bennett’s Mill. Afterthe mill burned in 1895, W.S. Bennett be-came a minister and a private enterpriseleased the millstream. The last mill wasbuilt in 1900, and a series of differentmillers operated the mill. Despite this, thetown was still called Brice and the areaaround it was referred to as Bennett Spring.

At its economic peak in the early 1900s,the town of Brice had the three-story mill,two general stores, a hardware store, ablacksmith shop and an inn. Farmers linedup to have their grain milled, often waitingfor several days. Their families camped andpassed the time by swimming in the river orfishing in the stream. In 1917, the BennettSpring Church of God was organized and

constructed on an acre of land donated byW.S. Bennett. Unfortunately, the town ofBrice fell into disrepair and much of it wasremoved during the Great Depression.Today the only structure remaining from thetown is the church.

S everal changes occurred from the late1890s through early 1900s to change

Brice from quiet hamlet to tourist’s haven.Sportsmen from all over the state enjoyed theOzarks for hunting, fishing and vacationingwith their families. Sporting clubs encour-aged the federal fish hatchery in Neosho tostock Bennett Spring with rainbow trout. Theincrease in fishing interest prompted con-struction of the Bennett Spring fish hatchery.Arlie Bramwell, great-grandson of JamesBrice, was hired to oversee the hatchery.Bramwell utilized the millrace as hatcherypools and the mill to grind food for the trout.

In 1924 and 1925, the Missouri State Parksystem purchased 573 acres of land, includ-ing Bennett Spring and the hatchery. ArlieBramwell continued to operate the hatcheryand was appointed the park’s first superin-tendent. The young park grew in popularityand by 1935 had a visitation of more than530,000, comprising a tenth of Missouri’svisitors to state parks and federal lands.

It was not until the mid-1930s, however,that improvements to the park were made.The Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC)built roads, a new dam for the hatchery andmany of the enduring structures people seeand enjoy today. These include the smallgauge station and shelter house at the

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spring, several cabins, the dininglodge and the stone bridge over thestream branch. The CCC’s excellentcraftsmanship is especially exhibitedin the dining lodge with its beamedceilings, stone fireplaces and ironchandeliers designed with fish motifs.

D uring the last 82 years, BennettSpring State Park has grown in

size to 3,216 acres and is managed bythe Missouri Department of NaturalResources, while the Missouri Depart-ment of Conservation operates thehatchery. Trout fishing remains themost popular recreation activity. Theregular fishing season is from March 1through Oct. 31. Daily permits are re-quired to fish on the spring branch andzones have been set aside for varioustypes of lures. Special fishing eventsinclude Kids’ Free Fishing Day inMay and the Holland Derby in Octo-ber. During the winter, a catch-and-re-lease season requires a special permit.

In addition to trout fishing, thereare many other reasons for visitingBennett Spring State Park. Have apicnic lunch at one of the streamsidetables or reserve a picnic shelter forgroup gatherings, family reunions orwedding receptions. Watch childrenplay at one of several playgrounds inthe day use area, relax on a parkbench to view fishing activities, orfeed the trout while visiting the fishhatchery. Visit the nature center andview exhibits that interpret MissouriOzark springs and highlight the histo-ry and natural environment of BennettSpring. Guided nature walks and a va-riety of other presentations are all of-fered free from April through October.

Take a hike of your own on the 12miles of hiking trails that windthrough the park. Enjoy scenic viewsof the spring and spring branch aswell as dolomite bluffs, glades andsmall Ozark streams. There are hard-wood forests of oak and hickory withan understory of maple, dogwood, andserviceberry trees. An abundant vari-ety of wildflowers provide a contrast-ing array of colors throughout the sea-sons. Walk along the spring branch toview muskrats, great blue heron andmink along the way. Take longer hikesinto the Ozark backcountry to catchglimpses of deer, turkey and otherwildlife that call the park home. Fol-low the Natural Tunnel Trail alongSpring Hollow to the Bennett SpringNatural Tunnel, an intact segment of acollapsed cave that is 15 feet high, 50feet wide and 100 yards long.

Overnight accommodations varyfrom cabins with fireplaces to motelsor duplexes. Comfortable condos offerthe conveniences of home with fullyequipped kitchens, heating, air condi-tioning and cable TV. Grills and picnictables are also available outside thelodging facilities. If you want to leavethe cooking to someone else, head tothe dining lodge. Home-style mealsand weekend buffets make it a perfectplace for family reunions, businessmeetings or just a quiet meal.

If you prefer camping, BennettSpring State Park has five camp-grounds that contain a total of 239basic, electric and sewer/electric/water campsites. Amenities include asanitation station, modern restrooms,showers, water and coin-operatedlaundries. Many sites are reservable in

advance by calling 1-877-ICampMo oronline at [www.mostateparks.com].

Stop by the park store for groceriesand fishing supplies. Canoe and fish-ing tackle rental, angling lessons andguide services are also available. Dur-ing summer months, visitors can cooloff in the modern public swimmingpool or plan a daylong float trip onthe nearby Niangua River. The motel,cabins, dining lodge, park store,swimming pool and canoe rental areoperated by concession hosts, Jim andCarmen Rogers. For more informa-tion, call the park store at (417) 532-4307 or visit their Web site at[www.bennettspringstatepark.com].

Visit Bennett Spring State Parkduring Hillbilly Days, one of the statepark system’s oldest special events.Planned in conjunction with theLebanon Chamber of Commerce onFather’s Day weekend in June, Hill-billy Days is a festival of music,crafts and foods celebrating the tradi-tions of the Ozarks.

It doesn’t take much to fall in lovewith Bennett Spring State Park. Bringyour family and come back often. Inno time you’ll also proudly say, “I’vebeen coming down for years!”

For more information about Ben-nett Spring State Park, contact thepark at (417) 532-4338, the MissouriDepartment of Natural Resources tollfree at 1-800-334-6946 (voice) or 1-800-379-2419 (TelecommunicationsDevice for the Deaf) or visit the Webat [www.mostateparks.com].

Diane Tucker is the interpretive re-source specialist at Bennett SpringState Park.

The stone bridge at Bennett Spring State Park is one of many rustic features located in the park and built by the Civilian Conservation Corps. It provides a classic backdrop to trout fishermen working the stream and carries visitors to the nearby CCC-decorated dining lodge.

Winter 2007 23

Mary Donze looks overplans for repairing theboardwalk at Johnson’sShut-Ins State Park with,from left, Frank St. Clair, Di-vision of State Parks, JonHart, MacTec park planningconsultant and Mark Hohen-gasser, State Parks.

W hen asking kindergartners what theywant to be when they grow up, it is

doubtful that any of them would jump upand say, “I want to be a planner.” However,childhood interests often influence careerchoices. Growing up in the country and fam-ily camping trips gave Mary Donze an earlylove and appreciation for the outdoors – somuch so that she got a degree in recreationand park administration. This resulted in herlanding a job as a planner 23 years ago withthe Department of Natural Resources’ Divi-sion of State Parks – something she proba-bly didn’t “plan” on as a child.

So, what exactly does a planner do? As apark planner, Donze initiates a conceptualdevelopment plan (the long-range plan foran individual state park or historic site) re-view. This review looks at problem areas,new recreation possibilities or needs, andanticipates trends. Her primary responsibili-ty is to facilitate a team through a series ofmeetings with staff and the public to formu-late these long-range plans. “The nature ofmy work is definitely team oriented. Eachplan is only as good as the process and onlyas good as the team put together to gothrough the process,” said Donze.

Career ConnectionLove of Outdoors Spurred

Plan to be a Plannerby Jennifer SiegPhotographs by Scott Myers

24 Missouri Resources

A typical workday may consist ofmeeting with a landowner adjacent to apark, talking to a park superintendentabout a new use area in a park, presentinga program to a local trail organization orfacilitating a public meeting.

“I enjoy the mix of being outside andinside and the variety in my job. Everyproject is different.” Recently, Donzehas been heavily involved with the re-covery plan for Johnson’s Shut-Ins State Park.

Gathering public input on state parkand historic site plans is essential to theprocess. Therefore, the ability to commu-nicate with diverse groups of people, in-cluding the general public and colleagues,is essential. Donze points out that “Pa-tience and listening skills are vital. Whenyou are in a facilitator’s role at a publicmeeting, sometimes you have to stepaway from your personal opinion and justlisten to other people. Park visitors arepassionate about their favorite parks andoften have strong opinions about howthey should be operated.”

Being involved with strategic plan-ning, Donze gets a broad picture of whatis going on within the division. “The Di-vision of State Parks is a cool thing to beinvolved with. I’m very proud to be apart of the division’s long, successful his-tory of finding the balance between pro-tecting natural and cultural resources andallowing and accommodating public usefor recreation,” she said.

T he Department of Natural Resourcesoffers numerous planner positions

throughout its various divisions, eachwith a unique list of job duties. Generalqualifications for an entry-level plannerposition include a bachelor’s degree andone year of professional or technical ex-perience in research and analysis, pro-gram or policy development, or manage-ment analysis, grant management, budgetor fiscal analysis or a closely related area.There are four levels of planner positions,each requiring an additional year of expe-rience in the above areas.

For more information, call the depart-ment at 1-800-361-4827 and ask for theHuman Resources Program.

Jennifer Sieg is a public informationspecialist with the department’s Divisionof State Parks.

Checking boardwalk repair plans on-site are, from left, Ron Huffman,MacTec consultant, Mark Hohengasser, State Parks and Jon Hart,

MacTec. On the bridge are Mary Donze, Parks planner and Kim Bur-field, Johnson’s Shut-Ins State Park superintendent.

Employees of Lawrence Fabric Structures, Kirkwood, work on a very large curtain.Department staff from the St. Louis Regional Office recently conducted an Environ-mental Assistance Visit there to advise the company on the proper handling of haz-ardous wastes involved in paint booth filters and solvent rags.

Awry old joke lists among thefrightening phrases in the English

language, “We’re from the govern-ment, and we’re here to help.” But it’sno joke that hundreds of applicantsfor new environmental permits inMissouri last year found themselvesseriously helped by just such an offer.Since early 2006, the department hasoffered a series of voluntary and in-formal Environmental Assistance Vis-its to facilities receiving new permits.As of late 2006, nearly 700 assistancevisits were conducted.

New tools like the EAV are funda-mental to department efforts to im-prove local services. “Helping com-munities and facilities understand andmeet environmental regulations iskey to a cleaner environment for allof us,” said Jim Macy, director of thedepartment’s Field Services Division.“If problems are discovered during anEAV, the facility is expected to makecorrections. Many visits find issuesrequiring attention, but only a veryfew facilities have had violations se-rious enough to require immediatecorrective or enforcement action bythe department. We think complianceassistance is the job of everyone inthe department,” Macy added.

The value of this new approach isproved somewhere in Missouri nearlyevery day. One real-life story makes agood example. In May 2006, LawrenceFabric Structures, a manufacturer ofawnings, overhangs and canopies in

Kirkwood, accepted the offer of ascheduled assistance visit from the de-partment’s St. Louis Regional Office.The region focuses on providingEAVs, especially to newly registeredgenerators of hazardous waste.

Environmental specialist JoeTrunko visited the company, observ-ing manufacturing processes. Henoted ways the company could en-hance emergency preparedness proce-dures, and gave guidance on disposalof paint booth filters and solvent con-taminated rags. “It’s tremendouslyimportant to us to keep things as safeas possible for our workers,” saidMatt Roslawski, the company’s mate-rials manager. “We felt great about theprofessional walk-through we re-ceived. It helped us identify several

new issues to go with our permit.”Trunko pointed out ways the companycould better meet requirements forcontainer management and labeling.“The issues we identified, like mostwe see in these visits, were fairly‘minor,’” said Trunko. “The things wesee most often are needs for morecareful paperwork, or better labelingand dating of containers. But whendealing with hazardous waste man-agement, fixing even a ‘minor’ prob-lem in hazardous waste can havemajor and lasting positive effects onthe safety of workers and ultimately,the surrounding community.”

Kerry Cordray is division informationofficer for the department’s Field Ser-vices Division.

by Kerry Cordrayphotograph by Scott Myers

Winter 2007 25

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